A Bielefelder Thread !

[Faraday40]

Unfortunately for me my Biels have turned out to be my worst layers, and also the best roosters. My two remaining hens (the third died of heat stroke last summer) didn't begin laying until 8-9 months of age, stopped laying during their very mild molt, and haven't provided me with any eggs since October of last year. True, when they were laying their eggs were nice and large and the better layer of the two averaged 4 eggs per week, but at this point I've decided it's time to cull them from my flock. They're pretty birds, but not worth the amount of feed they consume vs production.

Of the two roosters I have, I'm DEFINITELY keeping my beloved Bosch, my absolute favorite chicken of all time. If the summer heat becomes too much for him it's not too hard to bring him into the house during the hottest part of the day, but out of my entire Biel flock he's the one that adapted the best to our severe heat by consistently hanging out in the stream of water I keep flowing for them. My other rooster, Hansel, is bigger and also quite sweet, but did some significant damage to his beak while trying to fight with a young cockerel through hardware cloth and keeps damaging it by pecking too hard at everything. He essentially looks de-beaked and I even had to file down the lower part of his beak to make it easier for him to eat. He can't mate with the hens at all because he can't grip their feathers to stabilize himself. I've kept him around for months because I like him so much, but he's getting meaner with some of the other birds...presumably out of sexual frustration.

So Bosch will die of old age, and the others will feed my family. Even though I'm disappointed over not being able to retain this breed, I have no regrets over giving them a try. I got some lovely hybrids out of breeding them with some of my other flock members, and I've enjoyed their companionship while they've lived.


My beloved Bosch when he was still young.

I really like the pic of Bosch - the spoiled, pet rooster.

I hope you still stop by the thread to keep in touch & let us know how your hybrids are doing....with photo updates of course.

I'm sorry your Biele experiment didn't go so well. I realize it was a tough but very logical decision. Likewise I decided to keep my fav Biele, "Hen Solo" when my own breeding attempts failed. I enjoy her very much and hope she will remain a flock favorite for many years to come. In this very cold, dark, snowy winter, she's one of my two regular layers who gave me an egg every other day in Dec, while the rest of my slacker hens spent their time complaining about the snow. When the weather was nicer, she gave about 5 eggs per week.

My happy Hen Solo in December.

 

[Faraday40]

I have the opportunity to buy some Bielefelder chicks of a german breeder installed in spain.

I also have araucana, penedesenca and wyandotte, and i'm planning to use bielefelder as meat birds. Are the roos a decent meat birds? anyone has a brow ratio of them?

Sorry for my bad bad english

I found that they grow & mature slightly faster than my Orpingtons. When hatched at the same time, my Orps took 9 months before that 1st egg, but my Bieles started in only about 6 months. Of course the hours of daylight also plays a big part. I have not processed any Bieles, but they do grow larger than the other breeds you mentioned.

From following this thread, I have learned that climate seems to play an important role. Bieles do fine in colder climates, but they are not suited for extreme heat.

 

[DesertChic]

I really like the pic of Bosch - the spoiled, pet rooster.

I hope you still stop by the thread to keep in touch & let us know how your hybrids are doing....with photo updates of course.

I'm sorry your Biele experiment didn't go so well. I realize it was a tough but very logical decision. Likewise I decided to keep my fav Biele, "Hen Solo" when my own breeding attempts failed. I enjoy her very much and hope she will remain a flock favorite for many years to come. In this very cold, dark, snowy winter, she's one of my two regular layers who gave me an egg every other day in Dec, while the rest of my slacker hens spent their time complaining about the snow. When the weather was nicer, she gave about 5 eggs per week.

My happy Hen Solo in December.

Hen Solo is definitely something special! Such a beautiful bird!

 

[Sylvester017]

Unfortunately for me my Biels have turned out to be my worst layers, and also the best roosters. My two remaining hens (the third died of heat stroke last summer) didn't begin laying until 8-9 months of age, stopped laying during their very mild molt, and haven't provided me with any eggs since October of last year. True, when they were laying their eggs were nice and large and the better layer of the two averaged 4 eggs per week, but at this point I've decided it's time to cull them from my flock. They're pretty birds, but not worth the amount of feed they consume vs production.

Of the two roosters I have, I'm DEFINITELY keeping my beloved Bosch, my absolute favorite chicken of all time. If the summer heat becomes too much for him it's not too hard to bring him into the house during the hottest part of the day, but out of my entire Biel flock he's the one that adapted the best to our severe heat by consistently hanging out in the stream of water I keep flowing for them. My other rooster, Hansel, is bigger and also quite sweet, but did some significant damage to his beak while trying to fight with a young cockerel through hardware cloth and keeps damaging it by pecking too hard at everything. He essentially looks de-beaked and I even had to file down the lower part of his beak to make it easier for him to eat. He can't mate with the hens at all because he can't grip their feathers to stabilize himself. I've kept him around for months because I like him so much, but he's getting meaner with some of the other birds...presumably out of sexual frustration.

So Bosch will die of old age, and the others will feed my family. Even though I'm disappointed over not being able to retain this breed, I have no regrets over giving them a try. I got some lovely hybrids out of breeding them with some of my other flock members, and I've enjoyed their companionship while they've lived.


My beloved Bosch when he was still young.

Sorry the true Bielies didn't work -- but in our humid or scorching climate zones, it's so difficult to keep the fluffier heavier breeds -- they do better in cooler temps (as long as their combs are protected from frostbite). I'm interested in some pics of your Bielie X's and whether they will do better in your next summer heatwaves? After summer of 2016 heatwaves and losing two hens to compromised immune systems from the constant heat we aren't investing in any more heavily-downed or heavier chickens over 5 lbs. Seems the smaller the hens the better they do in our particular humid climate. Right now in the cooler rainier season our remaining 3 hens are enjoying the yard. I have a new pullet on order for Spring to bring the total up to 4 hens and the following year probably another new pullet. My older hens are 5 and 6 with the oldest looking like she's losing her vision somewhat, poor girl.

 

[otakalhasas]

Sorry the true Bielies didn't work -- but in our humid or scorching climate zones, it's so difficult to keep the fluffier heavier breeds -- they do better in cooler temps (as long as their combs are protected from frostbite). I'm interested in some pics of your Bielie X's and whether they will do better in your next summer heatwaves? After summer of 2016 heatwaves and losing two hens to compromised immune systems from the constant heat we aren't investing in any more heavily-downed or heavier chickens over 5 lbs. Seems the smaller the hens the better they do in our particular humid climate. Right now in the cooler rainier season our remaining 3 hens are enjoying the yard. I have a new pullet on order for Spring to bring the total up to 4 hens and the following year probably another new pullet. My older hens are 5 and 6 with the oldest looking like she's losing her vision somewhat, poor girl.

Ditto! PLEASE stay in touch through BYC and let us know how your x's are doing - you will be missed by this forum!!!!

 

[DesertChic]

Sorry the true Bielies didn't work -- but in our humid or scorching climate zones, it's so difficult to keep the fluffier heavier breeds -- they do better in cooler temps (as long as their combs are protected from frostbite). I'm interested in some pics of your Bielie X's and whether they will do better in your next summer heatwaves? After summer of 2016 heatwaves and losing two hens to compromised immune systems from the constant heat we aren't investing in any more heavily-downed or heavier chickens over 5 lbs. Seems the smaller the hens the better they do in our particular humid climate. Right now in the cooler rainier season our remaining 3 hens are enjoying the yard. I have a new pullet on order for Spring to bring the total up to 4 hens and the following year probably another new pullet. My older hens are 5 and 6 with the oldest looking like she's losing her vision somewhat, poor girl.

You should really look into Naked Neck Turkens. The NNs are my primary breed for meat and eggs and handle both heat and humidity extremely well. In fact, two of my best laying hens are Biel/NN crosses:

Misha



Gypsy:



These two girls took a little longer to reach POL than my pure NNs did, 22-24 weeks, but they started laying 1.8 ounce eggs from day one and supply me with eggs 5-6 days per week even now during the shorter daylight hours and without supplemental lighting. They are slightly more stressed by the heat than my pure NNs, but haven't required any exceptional cooling practices to keep them healthy...just shade and cool water like the others. They're also VERY friendly and affectionate and outstanding foragers. The NN breed in general is outstanding in most climates. I actually sold hatching eggs to a woman in Maine who wanted to increase her NN flock. Even there the birds are doing great!

 

[Bine]

I love your x-breeding experiments, DesertChic. And Bielefelder are from Bielefeld and Bielefeld is a rainhole with over 200 rainy days, something between 800-900 liters rain per m²... so more than 230 gallons on 10 sqft every year... and a average temp over the year is below 50°F. But I still hope you will finde a way to create a Bielezona. The peach-colored Mixes you had were simply fantastic.

 

[Sylvester017]

You should really look into Naked Neck Turkens. The NNs are my primary breed for meat and eggs and handle both heat and humidity extremely well. In fact, two of my best laying hens are Biel/NN crosses:

Misha



Gypsy:



These two girls took a little longer to reach POL than my pure NNs did, 22-24 weeks, but they started laying 1.8 ounce eggs from day one and supply me with eggs 5-6 days per week even now during the shorter daylight hours and without supplemental lighting. They are slightly more stressed by the heat than my pure NNs, but haven't required any exceptional cooling practices to keep them healthy...just shade and cool water like the others. They're also VERY friendly and affectionate and outstanding foragers. The NN breed in general is outstanding in most climates. I actually sold hatching eggs to a woman in Maine who wanted to increase her NN flock. Even there the birds are doing great!

Gypsy looks to have blue feet from the Ameraucana mix? or is that a camera effect? I know NNs are good birds from all the feedback I've received from owners. It's one of the reasons I was considering Showgirl Silkies - but since Showgirls are basically Silkies I just stick w/ the pure Silkies. I'm zoned for only 5 hens/no roos and it is so hard to make breed choices for my flock when there are so many good breeds to choose from. I've stayed away from NNs because they are a larger bird then I wanted to mix w/ 2-lb Silkies and 4-lb Breda's who are both extremely gentle breeds. Except for Ameraucana I haven't found any 5-lb+ hen that at maturity didn't eventually push her weight around our littles. I've re-homed too many supposedly "gentle-natured" large breeds because they eventually found they could push the littles/gentles around. Perhaps someday....

 

[Faraday40]

Gypsy looks to have blue feet from the Ameraucana mix? or is that a camera effect? I know NNs are good birds from all the feedback I've received from owners. It's one of the reasons I was considering Showgirl Silkies - but since Showgirls are basically Silkies I just stick w/ the pure Silkies. I'm zoned for only 5 hens/no roos and it is so hard to make breed choices for my flock when there are so many good breeds to choose from. I've stayed away from NNs because they are a larger bird then I wanted to mix w/ 2-lb Silkies and 4-lb Breda's who are both extremely gentle breeds. Except for Ameraucana I haven't found any 5-lb+ hen that at maturity didn't eventually push her weight around our littles. I've re-homed too many supposedly "gentle-natured" large breeds because they eventually found they could push the littles/gentles around. Perhaps someday....

My Orpingtons are gentle, but even so, a giant orp may push a little bantam bird away if she thought her food was in danger. (Orps love their food & treats! Their idea of "fair share" is all of the treats!) I think a bantam orp or bantam cochin would be some good, little, docile, companions for your silkies.....a "someday" option. Our flock has a very different dynamic. Most of the big, slow-moving, waddling hens are 8-10lbs. (I agree that often the 5-7 lb birds can be more aggressive.) The two little bantams we have are super fast & athletic. They zip in, grab the biggest piece of treat, & dart away before the big girls arrive on the scene. When it comes time for seconds, they also learned not to run toward the treats on the ground, but instead fly onto my arm or stand on top of my boots. That gets my attention, so they may get their own personal treats hand fed to them. Spoiled chickens! They know I'm a sucker, too. Thankfully my Orps & Biele never try that. LOL

 

[DesertChic]

Gypsy looks to have blue feet from the Ameraucana mix? or is that a camera effect? I know NNs are good birds from all the feedback I've received from owners. It's one of the reasons I was considering Showgirl Silkies - but since Showgirls are basically Silkies I just stick w/ the pure Silkies. I'm zoned for only 5 hens/no roos and it is so hard to make breed choices for my flock when there are so many good breeds to choose from. I've stayed away from NNs because they are a larger bird then I wanted to mix w/ 2-lb Silkies and 4-lb Breda's who are both extremely gentle breeds. Except for Ameraucana I haven't found any 5-lb+ hen that at maturity didn't eventually push her weight around our littles. I've re-homed too many supposedly "gentle-natured" large breeds because they eventually found they could push the littles/gentles around. Perhaps someday....

So far none of my NNs are in any way aggressive, but I will admit to having a few that are quite assertive. The NN hen from my very first hatch that was so calm and serene that I named her Zen beat the snot out of two roosters who's affections she did NOT appreciate. I was beyond impressed to see this gentle hen suddenly puff up like a prize fighter and put a 13 lb rooster in his place, so....yeah, I can understand your hesitation. For what it's worth, the two hens I got from my Biel/NN cross are actually sweeter, friendlier and much lower on the pecking order than the pure NNs.

I'm also now starting to work with Silver Grey Dorkings as my heritage flock and acquired good breeder stock for the first time this year. My flock is 9 weeks old this weekend and so far they're proving to be exceptionally gentle...but they're still young. I'll keep you posted on how they mature. Truthfully, if I'd been able to start with SGDs as I had originally wanted I don't think I would have ever even sampled another breed. With the exception of my beloved Biel rooster, Bosch, the SGDs are my primary "therapy chickens". They've actually ignored meal worms and sunflower seeds in favor of snuggling on my lap. It blows me away! They've yet to be "heat tested", but the breeder I got them from has been raising them in southern CA so I'm hopeful that the climate is similar enough for them to adapt to.